Fire Inside
by SummitPeaks
Summary: Legend had it that there was once girl who withheld such beauty that she could bring down a whole nation. One glance from her and a city falls. A second glance, and even the strongest nation would be left in ruins. ZxK
1. The Beauty Song

Fire Inside

Summary: Legend had it that there was once girl who withheld such beauty that she could bring down a whole nation. One glance from her and a city falls. A second glance, and even the strongest nation would be left in ruins. ZxK  
Paring: Zuko/Katara  
Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/Angst  
Chapter Length: 1,683 words

. . . .

Legend had it that there was once girl who withheld such beauty that she could bring down a whole nation. One glance from her and a city falls. A second glance, and even the strongest nation would be left in ruins. According to legend, she was always seen as a misty figure, as if she were a spirit, wearing a gown made of the finest blue silk found in all of the nations.

But of course, this was just a legend.

It was Prince Zuko's favorite tale.

As a child, he made his mother sing the song of this mysterious woman until he fell asleep. The gentle, eerie voice of his mother haunted his dreams late at night, even years after her tragic and unsolved death.

Had he believed the story?

Of course.

His mother would never lie to him. Even if it was just a supposed legend, he still believed it was true. He remembered the conversation that followed nearly every time his mother sang the song to him.

"_I'm going to find her, mom! I'm going to find the beautiful girl!" A young Zuko cried enthusiastically, looking up at his mother with the honey-colored eyes of the Fire Nation. A woman in a red nightgown made of fine silk looked down lovingly at the boy._

_She chuckled softly, a perfect sound, and rumpled her son's hair. "I know you will. You'll find her, and create a strong, unified nation." The young woman absently played with a strand of long black hair. _

_The young Prince, however, was not very interested in creating a strong and unified nation. He was more interested in the beautiful girl with the power to bring a city to ruins. _

"_Can she really bring down a whole nation with just one look? Is it possible for anybody to be that pretty?" He questioned curiously. Ursa, the young woman, laughed._

"_Oh, Zuko. You ask these questions every night! Don't you know the answer to them all by now?" She said with a smile. _

_The young boy smiled sheepishly. "I like it when you tell me about her. I like knowing about her." He punctuated his sentence with a large, sleepy yawn. Ursa sighed tiredly and gently pushed Zuko against his pillows and pulled his black and golden blanket up to his shoulders._

"_You can tell me all about her when you find her." She said. _

_The little boy was winding down quickly, and sleep was overcoming his body. "Do you really think I'm going to find her one day?" He asked, looking at Ursa with wide eyes. _

_Ursa smiled softly at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I have no doubt in my mind. You'll find her. And I can't wait to meet her." By time she finished, Zuko was already asleep. Ursa leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead, before quietly getting up and making her way out of his room._

"_Goodnight, my son." She whispered as she extinguished the flame that burned in the lantern by the door, encompassing the room in darkness._

Now, Zuko was a bit too old for songs about women with enchanting beauty, though sometimes he still dwelled on the possibility. Even now, at seventeen years old, more than eleven years after his mother's death, he still believed in the tale, deep down inside, though he was yet to meet a girl with such beauty that the nation would fall.

It was late at night, or perhaps very early in the morning, when Zuko heard the caroling voice of his mother, singing the very tune that was such a major part of his childhood. It brought his eyes wide open instantly, and sent a chill down his spine that left his heart racing. He pushed the blanket off of his body and flicked his wrist to the right, where a lantern resting on his nightstand was lit with a bright red-orange, flickering flame. Zuko looked around his room, squinting around the light emitted from the flame.

The song had been so crisp and clear, he half expected to see his mother sitting on the edge of the bed, singing softly to him, just like she had so many times as a child, but she was not there. Sighing heavily, Zuko stood from his bed and walked barefoot on the cold black tile of his room to the window, where the curtains were drawn to keep out the moonlight. Slowly, tiredly, he drew the curtains to the side and stared out of the window.

His room had a direct view of the palace gardens. He could see the calm pond surrounded by the Dragon-Lotus flowers, and the tree that his mother's name was carved into, not too far away from the pond. There was a full moon, which cast a calming blue tint over the scenery. He saw the trees rustle in a wind that he could not feel from inside, and decided that he would go outside to calm his inner fire.

Outside of the palace, the gardens were tranquil, and it reminded him of his mother. He had spent so much time in the garden as a child, feeding the Turtle-Ducks, playing with Azula, trying to learn Pai Sho with his Uncle, only to get distracted by Fire Bending on objects that weren't meant for bending practice. A very subtle smile tugged at his lips as he sat beneath the Giant Bonsai tree with his mother's name carved deep into the bark. He leaned his head against the trunk of the tree, enjoying the ability to have his unkempt hair down for once. The gentle breeze felt lovely against his scalp.

He stared at the pond, which looked like a large mirror, because it mirrored the sky above it completely. The white moon glowed against the midnight blue sky on the water. Dark gray craters on the moon, caused by a game the spirits used to play ancient times ago, were visible on the moon in the surface of the water.

Zuko loved the moon. His mother often joked that he was supposed to be born as a Water Bender, because he woke up during the night just to stare at it, and he loved water and thought it was the most beautiful element, even as a teenager.

Staring at the different shades of blue in the pond, he couldn't help but wish he had somebody he could share moments like these with. He had a girlfriend, Mai. The raven-haired, porcelain-skinned beauty of the Fire Nation. Yes, she was very beautiful, but she was cold and empty, and the lack of a personality drained all of the beauty from her bones. She could not bring a nation down with just one glance, but for that, Zuko was grateful. That meant that he could still find the beautiful girl in the legend.

Mai was not who he wished to spend the rest of his life with, though it was looking as if that would be his fate. She had no passion or understanding. She wasn't a very good listener. But oh, she was very beautiful, and according to his father, Fire Lord Ozai, that was all that mattered. Beauty and power. And Mai had both of those things.

But Zuko didn't want a girl with only false outer-beauty and inherited power. He wanted a girl who could bring a nation down with just one glance. He wanted a girl that he could talk to, somebody who could be both his friend and his lover, not just an empty shell of a girl with no soul.

Sighing–he seemed to be doing that a lot lately–he stood from his spot under the tree, and headed back inside the palace for the rest of the night's sleep, though he doubted he would catch another wink of slumber. Not with the echoing voice of his mother's song ringing through his head.

. . . .

The following morning, Zuko was awakened abruptly by a hard knock on his door, followed by loud commotion outside in the hallway that sounded like a dozen guards running. Groaning, he threw his blankets to the side and stalked to the door with messy hair. He opened it just a peek, to see a messenger holding a tightly wound scroll with shaking pale hands.

"Fire Prince Zuko, so sorry to interrupt your slumber, but a meeting is being held in the Commerce Chamber You must attend immediately," The messenger firmly handed Zuko the scroll. "The contents of this scroll must be read before you attend. A servant will come and retrieve you an hour from now." And with those words, the man was off, scurrying down the hallway.

Puzzled, Zuko closed his door and untied the scroll. The paper was very stiff and new. It was so brittle it nearly tore when he unrolled it. He recognized the handwriting of his father's scribe, and the first sentence in the document made his blood run cold.

_Fire Prince Zuko,_

_It is on this day that Harbor City has fallen..._

. . . .

**Constructive Criticism will do me well. **


	2. Fall of Harbor City

Fire Inside

Summary: Legend had it that there was once a girl who withheld such beauty that she could bring down a whole nation. One glance from her and a city falls. A second glance, and even the strongest nation would be left in ruins  
Paring: Zuko/Katara  
Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/Mystery  
Chapter Length: 1,813 Words

. . . .

The Commerce Chamber was a grand room in the Fire Nation Palace. It was centuries old, with history deeper than the mines in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko, dressed in his customary Fire Nation armor, sat stiffly next to his father, with his younger sister, Azula, on the opposite side of his father.

The atmosphere in the Commerce Chamber was very tense as all of the nations' representatives found their seats. Everybody seemed to be looking in the direction of the Royal Family, but nobody spoke a word. The servants around the room closed all of the curtains and brightened all of the lanterns in the room, making it seem even more serious.

There was a moment of silence, and Zuko could already feel the heat in the air begin to make him sweat. He cast a sideways glance at his father, who was stoic and impassive. Zuko could only hope to be that composed in the future.

Representatives from all of the Nations and all of the Trading Companies sat at the long table, all of them looking towards Fire Lord Ozai.

Staring straight ahead with burning hazel eyes, Ozai spoke in a deep voice.

"Harbor City has fallen. I do not know any of the details of the recent loss, but I assume that many of you have heard many things. I will ask one question and one question only. Were Water Benders involved?" Ozai had a deep, hard voice that sliced through air like a knife, and could make even the bravest soldier cringe.

The air was silent after Ozai spoke, with representatives looking around, giving each other side glances, and willing somebody to talk. Azula watched the men in the room with a sly smirk playing her lips. It was absolutely mesmerizing how fearful they were of her father.

Finally, a young man dressed in the green and brown silks of the Earth Kingdom, stood. He had a strong jaw and deep green eyes. He turned to face Lord Ozai, and bowed his head at the Lord. Ozai studied the man intently.

"I am Master Ji of the Earth Kingdom, my Lord." The man in the green robs spoke strongly, but quietly. He was very clearly intimidated by the atmosphere of the room.

"Master Ji," Ozai began, "Do you have the answer to my question?"

Ji nodded and looked Ozai directly in the eyes. Zuko wiped his palms on his pants.

"I have an answer, my Lord, though I regret to inform you that it may not be the answer that you wish." All eyes were on Master Ji, who spoke like a Fire Nation Grammar lesson compared to some of the uneducated representatives of the nations.

Ozai's patience grew taught with the young man. "Yes?" He said, his voice was a clear tone of warning.

"It seems that Water Benders have been involved with the Harbor City tragedy. The city was... swallowed by a Tsunami of a massive scale. My Lord, nothing in nature could've caused such a large storm." Master Ji explained. Zuko leaned forward, intrigued. Ozai's jaw clenched at the news.

Zuko looked at his father, swallowing his words. "Father, if I may?" Zuko gestured towards Master Ji, and Ozai gave a curt nod.

"My son, Fire Prince Zuko, has a statement."

"Yes, my Lord." Master Ji bowed his head at Ozai and focused his attention on the Prince.

Zuko eyed the young Earth Kingdom representative. Master Ji didn't quite come off as sincere to Zuko.

"Is it even possible that there are Water Benders that have the power to form such a large-scale storm without the aide of a full-moon?" Zuko asked. He could see out of the corner of his eye his father nodded, approving the question. He quietly exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Master Ji opened his mouth to speak, when another representative, this time wearing the blues of the Water Tribes.

"Master Akato, from the Northern Water Tribe," The man spoke, and bowed his head very slightly.

"Permission to speak granted." Zuko stated. His eyes were focused on the Master Akato, but his mind was wandering off to a place with an atmosphere far different from the tense setting of the Commerce Chamber.

"There is a legend of Water Benders reaching such a level that they can create massive storms that cause devastating damage, but such a power has not emerged from the Water Tribes in decades, perhaps centuries."

"Yes," Princess Azula interrupted, "But the Water Tribes have been very quiet for many years now. They have not attacked the Fire Nation in many years. It is a viable possibility that this has been a declaration of war between the two Nations."

Zuko instantly disagreed. "Princess Azula," it felt odd calling his younger sister by such a formal title. "You're speaking irrationally. The two nations have lived in peace and harmony for nearly thirty years now. I find it hard to believe that after thirty years of peace, the Water Tribes would attack for no reason."

Azula leaned forward in her chair and glared at her brother. "Prince Zuko, don't claim that I am the one who is speaking irrationally. Clearly, you have forgotten basic Elemental Knowledge. Fire and Water do not harmonize together. Never, in the entire history of the four elements, have fire and water co-existed in a balance. It's impossible.

It's fairly simple to come to the conclusion that the Water Tribe has attacked the Fire Nation."

Zuko closed his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. He could feel his shoulders grow weary with tension and anger.

"But for what reason?" He began to get defensive. "The Fire Nation has done nothing to both the Northern and the Southern Water Tribes, and they are not the kind of people who strike without reason. Something must've been done without knowledge of the Fire Nation, or else they simply wouldn't've attacked."

Everybody in the room, including Ozai, was silent as they listened to the two siblings, for they both had a valid point.

Azula scoffed and stood to her feet, not breaking her eye contact with Zuko.

"You have been reading too many books. Harmony cannot be achieved by two completely different elements, Prince Zuko!" Azula spat. "The Water Benders, though worthless, are fighters. They brought down Harbor City, knowing that it would damage the thriving economy of the Fire Nation. That was clever, I'll give them that, but there's no telling what they could do if we just let them walk all over us like this!"

"So what are you proposing we do, Princess Azula?" Zuko asked very calmly, looking up at his sister.

"Extinguish the Water Tribe as we did the Air Nomads!" She spat. There was a collective gasp from many of the representatives in the room.

This made Zuko's blood boil. How could he be related to such an evil, heartless girl?

Standing up and pushing away from the table, he turned towards his sister, all civil and domesticated self-control was long gone.

"You speak of genocide like it is nothing!" He growled. "Perhaps you haven't been reading enough books. Think, Princess, how many times have the Water Tribes ever attacked any nation first? Think about it!" His voice rang in the tense, silent room, and Azula stood there, jaw clenched, staring directly at Zuko. She didn't answer.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Zuko yelled. "There is no point in killing off an innocent, peaceful race! All of the elements, all of the nations, they were designed to function in harmony, Azula! If fire and water could not co-exist peacefully, then neither fire nor water would exist at all! Harbor City has fallen at the hands of water, but we have every right to believe that this was not an attack!"

"And we have just as much right to believe that it was!" Azula yelled.

Ozai stood, slamming his fists on the polished mahogany table. "Enough! Both of you!" He turned towards his children, furious. "Neither of you know what you are talking about! Compose yourselves!"

Zuko rolled his eyes at Azula, took a deep breath, and sat back in his seat, ignoring the burning looks he was getting from other representatives. Azula, however was less cooperative. She stood, rooted in the same position, fuming, for a few more seconds, before turning to look at the rest of the people in the room with her.

"Excuse me." Was all she growled before she stormed out of the room, looking anything but composed. Ozai turned to face the others in the room. He was short with his replies.

"Dismissed." He said, and watched the representatives scatter ants. His son stood, glanced at his father, nodded, and left the room, leaving Ozai there alone with his thoughts.

Both of his children had rather valid points, but he wasn't so sure on who he sided with. Zuko was, no doubt, a mirror image of his mother. Every single word that had come out of his mouth during the meeting was something that Ursa would've said, but Azula was just like her father.

At least, that's what Ozai had thought before today. Now he wasn't so sure about either of his children.

. . . .

**Thank you so much for all of the hits, favorites, alerts, and reviews. The only thing I could ask is that please be more constructive, it would very much help me to grow as a writer. Sorry the ending of this chapter kind of fell apart. I just lost it more towards the end.**

**I'm very glad you guys like the story, and I promise you'll be seeing more of our favorite (and least favorite) characters very soon! **

**Like I said, if everybody who read could just leave a review and tell me what they liked, that would be wonderful!**


	3. Mercy of the Fire Nation

Fire Inside

Summary: Legend had it that there was once a girl who withheld such beauty that she could bring down a whole nation. One glance from her and a city falls. A second glance, and even the strongest nation would be left in ruins. ZxK  
Paring: Zuko/Katara  
Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/Mystery  
Chapter Length: 1,409 words

. . . .

Zuko know that the palace had many secrets. Behind each door, in each room, creeping in each hallway, there was always a secret. The history of the Fire Nation was rather mysterious itself, something Zuko had always been interested in. His family history was cringe-worthy. He didn't exactly come from a happy bloodline.

His interest in this history, and history in general, was the reason why the Fire Nation Library was where he spent most of his free time. He had read hundreds of biographies, fictional pieces, and historical scrolls. He was kept company by his uncle, who enjoyed reading as well, and would read in the front of the library, or play a game of Pai Sho with another one of his retired general friends.

As soon as the heated and tense meeting in the Commerce Chamber was over, Zuko went straight to the library. His blood was still boiling from the things Azula had said during the meeting.

_"You have been reading too many books. Harmony cannot be achieved by two completely different elements, Prince Zuko!" _

Her words kept echoing in his mind.

_Harmony cannot be achieved by two completely different elements._

"No!" He thought out loud, and pushed through the heavy white doors to the library. A servant bowed respectfully to him, but he ignored it. Walking quickly, to the far left wall of books, he stopped and scanned the scrolls and bound books he had come to know so well. The air was crisp with the smell of paper, both old and new.

The Fire Nation's library, like the rest of the palace, had very many secrets. The entire room itself seemed to whisper classified information that was tucked into the walls of the palace. Through the many books lined on the shelves, Zuko looked for one. It was blue, with faded gold engraving on the spine. It was a bound book about the harmony of the elements. Zuko had seen it many many times, and new works referred back to it very often, but he had never read it.

Finally his eyes found it, tucked between two scrolls. It's faded blue casing stood out against the bamboo-colored rolled up papers, and he wondered how he didn't find it earlier. With eager and gentle hands, he removed the book and took it to the nearest lounge chair.

He flipped the old book over and read the faded title.

_Fire and Water: Zen Tranquility _

_. . . . _

As a child, Katara had always prided herself on honesty. Her father, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda, had always taught her to be honest, and she tried her hardest all her life to follow his wisdom.

But now, running through the thick bamboo forests of the Fire Nation, she felt like honesty was the bane of her existence. Images of what she had done to the Harbor City of the Fire Nation flashed through her mind as she ran. All of the people who perished, drowning in the flood waters.

She tried not to think about it. It was all apart of the plan, she would tell herself. It was all simply the plan.

Vaguely, as she ran, she felt the uncomfortable, scratchy linens of her clothing scrap against her skin. Prison clothing. She was blessed, though. The browns and greens of her clothing provided due camouflage in the bamboo forest. Katara hated what she had done, and she hated what she was doing. She was cursed as a Water Bender.

Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe, was perhaps one of the most powerful Water Benders to come from the tribe since Sozin's Reign. She was water. The way she moved with her element and manipulated it was beautiful and deadly. Since she was the nation's most skillful bender, she was used quite often in battle tactics and defense strategies. This was one of those times.

She slowed her run to a brisk, quiet walk, panting heavily. The forest around her was beautiful, and she had never been in a bamboo forest before. The tall, endless green stalks reached up towards the sky, with a few Cherry Blossom trees mixed in. It was green, pink, and breathtaking. She wished she could enjoy it.

While she walked, she absently hummed to herself, though she knew it was better if she didn't. There was a song that her mother and father used to sing to her when she was very young. She knew it as The Beauty Song, though the name and words varied from nation to nation.

It wasn't her favorite legend, but it was comforting nonetheless. It was about a beautiful, powerful girl, who could rebuild an army with a single glance, and reconstruct a city with a second. Her father used to tell her that she was the girl in the song, who could create thriving nations.

_How ironic, _Katara thought, _that instead, I am destroying cities and infiltrating nations._

Hearing what sounded like twigs being crushed under footsteps somewhere behind her, she stopped humming and crouched down low behind a large gathering of green bamboo.

Many moments passed before she heard the sound again, this time more rapidly. Footsteps. Somebody was on her trail. She heard a man yelling commands. No doubt he was a Fire Nation General. This didn't surprise her, though. She knew she was being followed.

Katara looked down at the ground. It was littered with the rosy pink petals of the Cherry Blossom trees. A smile graced her face and she shook her head, not believing what she was about to do.

_It's all a part of the plan. _She told herself once more. Balling her hands into fists and taking a deep breath, Katara stood. She was still partially hidden by the bamboo in front of her, but not for long. She came out of her hiding place, listening for the voice of the man.

Katara saw him before she heard him again. They made direct eye contact. His dark brown eyes widened and he pointed at her.

"There!" He shouted, and a dozen other men came running from behind him.

Katara was mentally calling herself insane for what she was doing, but she knew it was all just a vital part of the plan. She kept her eyes focused on the general and smiled kindly at him. His men were getting closer to her, approaching with caution.

She raised one hand into the air, still keeping her eyes on the general. His men took this as a threat and three of them got into a bending stance while the other nine drew their weapons. She pointed upward at the cloudy gray sky. The soldiers looked up, confused.

While they were looking up at the sky, Katara threw her other hand into the air. "Rain!" She cried, and drew her hands down quickly, dragging what felt like thick, humid air with her. She condensed the moist air into water, pulling it into a thin blue shield around her body.

And then it started to rain hard, with thunder that cackled across the forest. And Katara ran, knowing very well that she was about to be captured and put at the mercy of the Fire Nation.

. . . .

**This chapter is a lot shorter, I know, and I'm sorry. But still, it's a chapter, right? Sigh. Thank you all so much for the reviews and alerts! Once again, I ask that you PLEASE be constructive in your reviews, it helps me out a lot!**

**Happy Mother's Day to you all!**


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